The Way of Tea: Tea Ceremony with Ruth (Sōshin) Lionberger

Learn about the art of the Japanese tea ceremony, its deep cultural meaning, and its meaning for women's empowerment at this talk and demonstration led by Ruth (Sōshin) Lionberger.

Monday March 20th / 14:00 - 16:00 / Members ¥2500 / Guests ¥3500

The Japanese tea ceremony began to be developed in the 15th century, and since then, has become a well-known part of Japanese culture. However, with its unique ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, the deeper meaning of this activity might still be a mystery to some of us. At this talk and demonstration, led by Ruth (Sōshin) Lionberger, we will learn about the art of the Japanese tea ceremony, its cultural meaning and, surprisingly, its meaning for women’s empowerment.

A native of Nebraska (USA), Ms. Lionberger has spent almost 20 years in Japan, working in education and international relations. She began studying the Way of Tea in 2000, and was granted the tea name, Sōshin (宗心), in 2010. From April 2015 to March 2016, Ms. Lionberger was enrolled in the research course at the Urasenke Gakuen Chadō Senmon Gakkō in Kyoto. She teaches the Way of Tea to Japanese and non-Japanese audiences, in both English and Japanese. She is particularly interested in training Japanese teachers how to effectively teach the tea ceremony to non-Japanese students.

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Directions: At Edogawabashi Station (Yurakucho Line), take Exit 1a. At the top of the steps, go straight for a few meters and cross the Kanda River. On the far side of the river, take a left. Keep walking along the river until you see the gate into Shin-Edogawa Park (10-15 minutes) on your right. Shoseikaku, the venue, is in the far side of the pond.